Create and submit and idea for a panel

Is There a West Versus East Journo Battle Brewing?

The unspoken consensus in media is that in order to “make it,” it’s necessary to spend some time in the East. Because, of course, the financial and governing epicenters are in New York and DC, the East has long been home to most of our renowned publications. But today geographical boundaries are being eclipsed by the digital era. The West Coast is rapidly building its own newsworthy infrastructure: it’s home to the technological forefront; the Pacific Rim is now responsible for half of the world’s consumers, trade, and global GDP; Los Angeles, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Portland, and Seattle are becoming part of what’s now being referred to as the “Great Crescent.” Is there an emerging “Western” voice? Is there a need for one? Or, as the digital age continues to evolve and reshape society, will the fragmentation of the “epicenters” follow? Is the East Coast journalism power structure finally losing its grip as the place where “successful” journalists must get their start?

Additional Supporting Materials

Questions Answered

Are there different sensibilities between coasts when it comes to approaching, covering and consuming the news?

Is it possible to create a viable news-based institution that's located 3000 miles from the existing power structure-- a power structure that's existed far before the industrial age?

Is it possible that as as geographical boundaries become eclipsed by the digital era and by emerging technological platforms, that an east coast versus west coast mentality, as it pertains to news and journalism, may soon become irrelevant?

As the digital age continues to expand, evolve, and reshape the structure of our society, will the fragmentation of power structures follow what's been referred to as the fragmentation of news?

How likely is it that that east-coast driven power structure will soon abdicate its current standing as the epicenter of news creation and distribution?